Strongly
as we believe and preach God’s total sovereignty, we do not, and we must not,
press the issue of God’s sovereignty beyond the bounds of Holy Scripture, to
the exclusion of or in contradiction to that which God has revealed in his
Word. Here are seven things the holy, sovereign, Lord God cannot do.

1. God cannot change or be changed (Mal. 3:6; James 1:17). His
Being is immutable. His purposes are unalterable. The objects of his love and
the measure of his love for them are always the same.

2. God cannot lie (Tit. 1:2). This places no
limitation upon the Almighty. It is simply the necessity of his character. If
God has said anything, promised anything, or threatened anything, you can bank
on it. God cannot lie. And Paul tells us plainly that God promised eternal life
to some people before the world was made.

3. God cannot save a sinner without
a suitable sacrifice (Heb. 9:22). He cannot forgive sin without blood atonement. And
atonement cannot be made without a suitable sacrifice. The only suitable
sacrifice is one who is himself altogether innocent, a man of our nature, and a
man of infinite merit who is himself God (John 1:14).

4. God cannot take anyone to heaven
who is not perfectly righteous in his sight (Matt. 5:20; Heb. 12:14). He is of purer eyes
than to behold iniquity. “It must be
perfect to be accepted.” The holy God requires perfect holiness. Christ is
our righteousness, holiness, and sanctification (Rom. 5:19). We are complete in
him (Col. 1:12; 2:10).

5. God cannot send anyone to hell
for whom Christ suffered and died at Calvary (Isa. 53:11; Rom. 8:33-34). “Payment God
cannot twice demand, First at my bleeding Surety’s hand, And then again at
mine!” His wisdom, love, goodness, and justice will not allow it!

6. God cannot save a sinner apart
from the preaching of the gospel. He cannot because he will not (I Cor. 1:21-24; James
1:18; II Pet. 1:23-25). I hear men say, “God can save men with the use of
means, without the use of means, or in spite of the means used. He is
sovereign. He can do whatever he will.” God is sovereign. He can do anything he
wants to do. But God cannot lie. He cannot do that which is contrary to his
Word. He cannot do that which he has said he will not do. Neither can he fail
to do what he has said he will do . And God has said that the gospel of Christ
is his ordained means of communicating saving grace to dead sinners. God will
not save anyone apart from the preaching of the gospel (Rom. 1:15-17; 10:17).
Neither will he save anyone by the preaching of a false gospel (Gal. 1:6-8).

7. God cannot fail to save any
sinner who trusts the Lord Jesus Christ, his dear Son (John 3:16, 36). God, who
cannot lie, has promised eternal life to every believer. Faith in Christ is the
fruit of election, redemption, and regeneration. And faith in Christ is the
evidence of election, redemption, and regeneration. Will you now believe? Will
you trust the Son of God?